Don't go
by timeturnersandmoons
Summary: Happy Halloween! This is a short one-shot written for Jily...Lily is volunteering in the school infirmary and there is a familiar dark-haired boy staying overnight in one of the beds. Sparks will fly.


**Hi again! This is another one-shot which I felt like writing since it's Halloween and the Jily feels came pouring out.  
Also, I want to say thanks to Snuffles4Eva and Just Another Ginge for reading and reviewing (I'll be checking out your stories soon!) 3  
If you notice any errors (I haven't proofread it as much as I would have liked, very busy with assignments), feel free to let me know so I can edit it out!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from HP. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Miss Evans, I'm going to turn in for the night. You should too, leave that for tomorrow", Madame Pomfrey's calming voice floated in and Lily looked up from the pile of medical notes that she was going through, making sure that they were filled out correctly so a copy could go home to the students' parents.

"I'm almost done; promise, 10 minutes and I'll be gone. You can go, honestly, I'll turn off the light and return to dorms", she shifted in her seat as she spoke, urging her eyes not to betray her tiredness as gave the school nurse a reassuring smile.

Madame Pomfrey considered this for a second- she was notorious for not allowing non-patients to remain overnight- before nodding, albeit slightly hesitantly. "Alright then Miss Evans, but no longer than 10 minutes. Those forms can wait and you've been working hard enough" she said the last words kindly and Lily felt a rush of pride. She agreed to not stay for too long and the matron bustled off. She let herself yawn loudly once she knew the coast was clear- she was _very_ tired, all those nights staying up to keep up with her NEWT workload alongside helping out at the infirmary was beginning to take its toll on her. Not to mention the sheer amount of duties she had taken on as Head Girl. Although, she had to admit, having a certain black-haired boy by her side had made the role more enjoyable than she would have expected. She found her thoughts drifting to James; he'd surprised her this year. He had taken on his role with a certain seriousness that she had seemed to miss these past years and he didn't irk his responsibilities. They had ended up spending more time together this past year and she had begun to realise that spending time with James had become natural and enjoyable. They had laughed at the number of snogging students they had unearthed in broom cupboards, shaken their heads with anger after filling out detention slips for students who had uttered 'Mudblood' in corridors and perhaps most importantly, they had shared parts of their lives with each other. She now knew how much James cared for his loved ones, how much he'd be willing to sacrifice for them and he listened intently as she told him all about her worries, how she felt she didn't belong fully in either world, how much she missed having a sister to talk to.

Shaking her head, Lily concentrated her thoughts on the task at hand and within 5 minutes she was done and she gave herself a congratulatory pat on her shoulder, which she definitely would not have done if she were surrounded by other students. Marlene would have doubled over in laughter and probably begin to pat her at every available moment. She stood up and stretched, pulling her knitted jumper on and swinging her bag over her shoulders. She began rushing down the ward, passing the beds. Luke Wilson inhabited one, snoring lightly as his head was held in down by a neck brace- an injury dealt to him by the Ravenclaw beater, Amelia Diggory, who felt so remorseful afterwards, that she had demanded a rematch.

Lily had almost reached the door when she heard a groan. Thinking it was Luke, she turned around before realising it was coming from the bed concealed by the curtains. She wasn't sure who it was, since she hadn't had a chance to leave the back office this evening. Tentatively, she stepped closer and pulled across the curtains before stepping through lightly. The sight in front of her made her inhale and hold her breath for a moment.

She stared at him and he stared right back at her.

"Hey Evans…" a sentence which would normally have been confident and cheeky came out bleary and her face softened at the sight. He lay sprawled across with his dark hair more dishevelled than normal. A deep gash was marked diagonally across his face and his left arm was in a brace.

"Potter, what on earth happened to you? Don't tell me, another prank gone wrong? Honestly, you're supposed to be the head boy!" condescending as she may have tried to sound, her voice held an element of care and she felt fear as she noticed it. She hoped he hadn't and ensured that she would get rid of it.

"Come on Evans, can't you think I'd have a noble reason for having my face ripped off? Perhaps I was rescuing a damsel from a rogue and battling a dragon all while completing potions"

She sighed before seating herself tentatively on the edge of the bed.

"It's so deep". Her voice was soft and for a moment she was hoping he hadn't heard.

"Really, it's not", his voice was quiet now too and she avoided his gaze.

"You won't tell me what happened?"

"Ah, Evans, I wish I could. But, it's not for me to tell. Let's just say I had a very good reason for doing what I was doing and I don't regret any of this", his tone was gentle but firm and she recognised that that was all she was going to get from him tonight and it was enough.

Lily nodded, "Okay then, do you want me to get anything for you? I heard you groaning in agonizing pain a moment ago"

"Agonizing pain? I was simply mumbling about the poor service at the infirmary for valiant men like me", he tried to puff out his chest before stopping.

"Ah, on second thoughts Evans, mind giving me my glasses. You're a bit of an orange blur at the moment. Slightly golden. Kinda like a snitch", he said pointedly at the bedside table. Reaching for his glasses, she held them out to him and he lifted his eyebrow.

"Oh…" she uttered as she acknowledged his bandaged and bruised arms. Trying to maintain a grip on herself, she scooted closer and pushed them softly onto his face. She couldn't help but feel his gaze constantly on hers, not moving. She felt it burn on her skin and her cheeks flushed. Her red waves fell delicately over him and she was about to reach out to push it away before his hand slowly did it for her. If the movement had hurt him, he didn't let it show. After a moment of stillness where she determinedly avoided his eyes, he whispered, "I love your hair". Using his bruised but free hand, he tucked another curl behind her ear, his fingers lingering for a moment on her cheek and she inhaled the scent of James. It was rain and apples and woody and her mind whirled. Seconds passed before she finally met his eyes which were still trained on her.

"Your eyes, they have silver in them", her voice came out in a breathy whisper.

His breaths were coming out in short gasps and she was inches away. Inches she could close if she simply shut her eyes and pushed her lips onto his, letting their breaths mingle and doing what she had wanted to do for months now. But she didn't, she pulled away and she swore she could hear James' letting out a small sigh of disappointment. It was the right thing to do after all. She stood up hastily, brushing her skirt down and heard his mouth make a sound as if he was about to speak, but he didn't.

"Well, yeah, okay, glasses, you see, I should get going, rules and all that. It's late, it's dark, the moon", she tripped over her words. _Merlin_ _Lily_ _the moon? W_hat was it about this messy-haired boy whom she had grown up throwing sarcastic comments at, that made her heart race. It was a wonder he hadn't noticed and commented already, thank Merlin.

"Lily"

She stopped fumbling. She loved it when he said her name. Evans. Lily. Evans was playful and challenging. Lily was soft. She loved how he said it. How he let it roll of his tongue in a breathy whisper, how he made it so intimate, as if no one else had ever breathed her name with the same resonance he did.

"James?"

She let her eyes linger on his face, before meeting her eyes.

"Don't go", it was a sincere and vulnerable statement and she at once felt relief. She had wanted him to stop her; she couldn't leave him behind, could she? She hesitated, before responding.

"Okay. I won't". She made to sit on the chair beside his bed, but he motioned to the other edge of his bed.

"That's if, you're okay with sharing a bed with my ego", he smiled with one side of his lip upturned but she noticed a tremor in his voice, as if he was scared that she would say no. She considered this for a moment; this was blurring the lines she had been so adamant to maintain. But then again, this was James, there really was no question. Silently, she took off her shoes and got into the other side. She felt the warmth seeping off his body into hers and when his hand lightly brushed her leg as he tried to rearrange the blanket by shifting his body, tingles burst through that inch of skin.

She leaned back and relaxed, reassuring herself that she would be up and ready to leave before Madame Pomfrey came in for the morning. She was doing this for his benefit though, he was injured, and he needed someone to look over him, in case he suffered from a concussion. Yes, it was her duty, it was all for his benefit. James watched her eyes close, her light eyelashes fluttering. Her light breaths moved the lock of hair that had just fallen in front of her face again and James had to fight the urge to reach up and push it behind her ear and touch her skin again. He remained motionless, staring at her as the moon shone in and illuminated half her face, emphasizing the glow he had always seen in her ivory skin. As his eyes drifted close to the sight of flaming red hair, all he could smell was cinnamon and berries and sunshine.

* * *

In the morning, Lily didn't manage to wake up early and was met with Madame Pomfrey's disapproving glare.

"Oh dear Merlin, I'm sorry!", she fumbled out of bed as James watched her with humour. He had woken up twenty minutes earlier, but had chosen not to wake her on account of how peaceful and beautiful she had looked, even with the small amount of drool running down the side of her face.

"Miss Evans, I expected better of you. Really, I don't know what you were thinking"

Lily hung her head, trying not to cover her face with her hands or use a disillusionment charm.

"This absolutely cannot happen again!" she shook her head before turning around, but Lily swore she saw a small smile tug at the corner of her mouth daring to burst.

"Ah, Evans, couldn't resist my masculine wiles", he grinned and his free hand which had healed of its bruises overnight went to ruffle his hair.

"Shut it Potter. I took pity on you. Wasn't sure if an invalid like you would ever get the chance to have a girl in his bed again" he continued grinning and she rolled her eyes.

"Thanks"

She turned around, "Anytime"

And as she walked down the corridor to return to the Gryffindor dorms, to where Mary and Marlene would demand to know where she'd been, she couldn't help but look forward to the next time, because there had to be a next time, when she'd have her mind filled with wood and rain and dark eyes with glimmers of silver and ruffled hair. And this time, she promised she'd close the gap and softly press her lips to his.


End file.
